Instrumented Platform for Vibration-Sensitive Equipment

ABSTRACT

A platform that includes a vibration sensor located within an inner core of a table. The table may have a first plate that supports a vibration-sensitive payload. The first plate may be separated from a second plate by the inner core. The sensor can be located within the core directly below the device. The sensor can be connected to an electrical connector attached to an external surface of the table. A monitor can be readily plugged into the electrical connector to obtain vibration data from the sensor. The platform may also include a damper located within the inner core to reduce vibration of the table. The damper may be an active device that is connected to control circuits located within, or outside, the inner core.

CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 10/693,222, filed Oct. 24, 2003, and entitled“Instrumented Platform for Vibration-Sensitive Equipment.”

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The subject matter disclosed generally relates to industrial tables suchas optical tables.

2. Background Information

There have been developed various tables for industrial use such asoptical bench tables or vibration shaker tables. U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,963issued to Terry discloses an industrial tabletop that has a top plate, abottom plate and a honeycomb structure that separates the plates. Thehoneycomb structure allows for threaded apertures in the top plate.External vibration-sensitive payload devices such as an opticalcomponent of an optical system, or a device under test in a shakersystem, can be attached to the threaded apertures of the table.

In many experimental research and industrial applications it isdesirable to isolate the tabletop from external vibration such as thenatural tremor of the building structure. U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,841 issuedto Houghton et al. discloses an active isolation module that can beplaced between the building floor and a tabletop to dampen tabletopvibration. The isolator includes a vibration sensor and an actuator thatare connected to a controller. The sensor senses vibration and providesan output signal to the controller. The controller then processes theoutput signal and provides a drive signal to excite the actuator andoffset the vibration.

The vibration isolators reduce the vibration transmitted to the tabletopfrom the floor. The tabletop top itself, however, has its own naturalfrequencies and corresponding flexural vibration modes that can beeasily excited by residual vibration coming through the isolators or byother sources such as acoustical excitation, air turbulence and dynamicforces generated by the payload equipment installed on the table. Themain flexural vibration modes usually have a global character, whichmeans that an excitation at any point of the tabletop generates avibration pattern encompassing the whole tabletop surface. Those naturalvibrations are very lightly damped and therefore can reach highamplitudes unless special damping means are introduced into the tabletopstructure.

Passive dampers of various designs are widely used in construction ofoptical tables. The “Shock and Vibration Handbook”, ed. By C. M. Harris,4^(th) edition, 1996; 5^(th) edition, 2001, Ch. 37, provides a survey ofthe state of the art in this field and a classification of dampers(damping treatments). According to it, the known types of dampingtreatments include:

-   -   Free-layer damping treatments, where the energy is dissipated by        means of extensional deformation of a damping layer (made of        visco-elastic material) induced by flexural vibration of the        base structure.    -   Constrained-layer damping treatments, where the constraining        layer helps induce relatively large shear deformations in the        visco-elastic layer in response to flexural vibration of the        base structure, thereby providing more effective energy        dissipation mechanism.    -   Integral damping treatments, including use of damped laminated        sheets and/or damped joints in the construction assembly.    -   Tuned dampers, which are essentially mass-spring systems having        resonances matched (tuned) to the resonance frequency of the        base structure. The application of the tuned damper replaces the        resonance peak of the base structure, typically, by two peaks of        lesser amplitude.    -   Damping links, i.e., visco-elastic elements joining tow parts of        the structure that experience large relative motion in the        process of vibration.

Some of cited damping techniques have found applications in opticaltables. In particular, Newport Corporation (see “The Newport Resource”catalog by Newport Corporation, 2003) uses tuned dampers, constrainedlayer treatment of work surfaces and integral damping in its opticaltabletop designs.

Nevertheless, the growing demand for high precision and high throughputin optoelectronics and semiconductor industries, as well as the needs ofmodern scientific experimental instruments, require higher dampingperformance of optical tables than that achieved by the methods anddevices known in the state of the art. Active vibration control meansare known to be able to achieve superior performance compared to passivecontrol.

It is sometimes desirable to monitor the vibration level on the table.For example, in a precision measurement system the real-time vibrationdata could qualify or disqualify a certain measurement. In a precisionmanufacturing system, the real-time vibration data could indicate anincreased probability of a particular manufactured item, such as asemiconductor wafer, being defective. Vibration monitoring is alsonecessary if the tabletop in question is part of a vibration test setup.

The vibration signal may be used merely to indicate increased vibrationlevels on the platform during certain periods of time. In this case thevibration sensors can be placed at almost any point of the tabletopbecause of the global character of main vibration modes; the areas nearthe corners of the tabletop represent a good place for vibration sensorssince these areas are responsive to all typical vibration modes of thetabletop top. In other cases, the exact value of vibration input at acritical vibration-sensitive equipment location is of interest. In thissituation the sensors should be placed immediately adjacent to theattachment points of the vibration-sensitive equipment.

Deployment of vibration measurement systems, including sensors andcables, on the working surface of the tabletop would detract from thevaluable payload space. It may be impossible to place the sensors nearthe most vibration-sensitive pieces of equipment due to spacerestrictions. In a production environment it may be impractical due torequired set-up time. Therefore, a system monitoring the vibration ofthe tabletop while leaving its surface clear and accessible to the userwould be very desirable.

The essentials of the optical tabletop design are disclosed in the U.S.Pat. No. 4,621,006, entitled “Honeycomb tabletop manufacture andclean-room compatible honeycomb tables” issued to Terry et al. and U.S.Pat. No. 5,500,269, entitled “Honeycomb tabletop manufacture andclean-room compatible honeycomb tables” issued to Terry. Additionaldetails and variations can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,645,171, entitled“Honeycomb tabletop” issued to Heide, U.S. Pat. No. 5,061,541, entitled“Honeycomb tables” issued to Gertel, U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,157, entitled“Optical table” issued to Galpin et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,962,104,entitled “Optical Table” issued to Gertel et al. For an extensivegeneral description of optical honeycomb tables, reference may be madeto the 2000 Vibration Control Catalog and 2002-2003 “The NewportResource” Catalogs by Newport Corporation. Catalogs of TMC, KineticSystems and other manufacturers also contain descriptions of opticaltabletop designs. Although the main purpose of an optical tabletop is toprovide a stabletop platform for vibration-sensitive equipment, none ofthe designs described in the aforementioned patents and catalogs includea built-in means for monitoring vibration, or a tabletop that includesactive vibration control.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A platform that includes a vibration sensor located within an inner coreof a table.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a platform;

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the platform;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the platform coupled to a monitor;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of platform with adamper in a tabletop core;

FIG. 5 is a schematic of a controllable damper in the tabletop core;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the platform.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Disclosed is a platform that includes a vibration sensor located withinan inner core of a tabletop. The tabletop may have a first plate thatsupports a vibration-sensitive payload. The first plate may be separatedfrom a second plate by the inner core. The sensor can be located withinthe core directly below the device. The sensor can be connected to anelectrical connector attached to an external surface of the tabletop. Amonitor can be readily plugged into the electrical connector to obtainvibration data from the sensor. The platform may also include a damperlocated within the inner core to reduce vibration of the tabletop. Thedamper may be an active device that is connected to control circuitslocated within, or outside, the inner core.

Referring to the drawings more particularly by reference numbers, FIGS.1 and 2 show a platform 10. The platform 10 may include a tabletop 12that has a first surface 14, a second surface 16 and a plurality of sidesurfaces 18. The first surface 14 may extend along a first plate 20, thesecond surface 16 may extend along a second plate 22 and the sidesurfaces 18 may extend along one or more side plates 24.

The first plate 20 is separated from the second plate 22 by an innercore 26. The tabletop core 26 may contain a honeycomb structure 28 toprovide support for the plates 20 and 22. The first plate 20 may have aplurality of threaded apertures 30. An external vibration-sensitivepayload 32 may be attached to one or more threaded apertures 30 of thetabletop 12. The payload 32 can be any type of device such as an opticalcomponent of an optical system, a device under test in a shaker machine,etc. Additionally, the tabletop may be a platform for equipment used tofabricate semiconductor wafers, integrated circuits, etc. In general thetabletop 12 may be any platform used to support a component, system orequipment used in manufacturing or laboratory environments. For purposesof claim interpretation the terms “platform” or “tabletop” do notinclude any structure of an airplane or building, including airplanewings, fuselage, building walls or foundations.

One or more vibration sensors 34 may be located within the inner core 26and attached to an underlying surface 36 of the first plate 20. Thevibration sensor(s) 34 may be any type of device, such as anaccelerometer, a geophone or displacement sensor that can sensevibration. Although three vibration sensors 34 are shown, it is to beunderstood that any number of sensors 34 can be located at any locationof the table. The sensor(s) 34 can be connected to an electricalconnector 38 attached to one of the side plates 24 of the tabletop 12.The sensor 34 may be connected to the connector 38 by wire cables 40that run through the inner core 26. The sensor(s) 34 can provide anoutput signal that is transmitted to the connector 38 over the cables40.

As shown in FIG. 3, a monitor 42 can be coupled to the sensor(s) 34 byplugging cables 44 into the connector 38. The monitor 42 may recordand/or display vibration information provided by the sensor(s) 34. Bylocating the vibration sensor 34 within the inner core 26, the sensor 34can measure the vibration directly beneath the external device 32thereby providing more accurate data. The electrical connector 38 allowsthe monitor 42 to be readily coupled to the sensor(s) 34 therebyminimizing set-up time for monitoring vibration in the tabletop 12.

Although cables 40 and a connector 38 are shown and described, it is tobe understood that the sensor(s) 34 may have a wireless transmitter (notshown) that wirelessly transmits the output signal(s).

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of a tabletop assembly 10′ with a damper 50located within the inner core 26. The damper 50 may include an actuator52 such as a voice coil that can be excited to induce a vibration thatoffsets and cancels the vibration within the tabletop 12. The actuator52 may include an electrical coil 54 that is magnetically coupled to amagnet mass 56.

The magnet mass 56 may be coupled to an actuator housing 57 by a pair offlexible diaphragms 58. The housing 57 is attached to the plates 20 and22. That diaphragms 58 function as springs which combine with the mass56 to form a spring/mass assembly. Providing a current to the coil 54generates a magnetic force that moves the mass 56. The coil 54 can beexcited in a manner to generate, together with the spring/mass assembly,a dynamic force to offset vibration in the tabletop 12.

The vibration sensor 34 can be coupled to the tabletop 12 by a screw 60that extends through the top plate 20 and is attached to a sensorhousing 62. The sensor 60 is preferably coaxial and rigidly coupled tothe actuator 52. The sensor 60 provides an output signal to a controlcircuit 64. The control circuit 64 processes the signal and provides anexcitation signal to the coil 54 to generate an offsetting vibrationthat cancels the table vibration. The control circuit 64 can be locatedwithin the inner chamber 26 and connected to the sensor 60 and coil 54by cables 66.

FIG. 5 is a schematic of a controllable damper integrated into thetabletop 10′. The signal from the vibration sensor 34 is transmitted tothe controller 64. The controller 64 may contain amplifiers 75,compensators 76 and filters 77. Digital control or analog control can beemployed. The transformed signal is fed into the active element 54, suchas a coil, of the actuator incorporated into the platform structure. Thevibration actuator may further comprise the reaction mass 56, which maycontain magnets, and the flexure 58 that provides elastic couplingbetween the mass and the tabletop 12. The amplification gains and otherparameters of the controller modules are assigned and coordinated withthe characteristics of the sensor, actuator and mechanical assembly sothat a force F_(a) induced on the top face sheets of the tabletop 12reduces the vibration at this point.

As control current flows through the coil 54, the electromagnetic forceacts on the reaction mass 56, and the equivalent reaction force isacting on the stationary coils fastened to the platform structure. Thecontrol loop is designed so that the phase and the amplitude of thesummary force transmitted to the platform structure counteract thevibration of the tabletop 12. Methods for designing controller andactuators for vibration abatement are known in the art.

It is preferred that the locations represented by points A,B and C inFIG. 5 be co-axial on the same vertical axis and rigidly connected. Itis also preferable to design the control loop so that the active forceacting on the tabletop 12 emulates the effect of a viscous damper in thefrequency domain encompassing the main natural frequencies of theflexural vibration of the tabletop 12. This approach creates inherentstability and robustness with respect to the changes in the payload. Toimplement this strategy, the transfer function of the controller shouldbe designed as:

$\begin{matrix}{{K(\omega)} = \frac{{- i}\; \omega \; k}{{A(\omega)}{S(\omega)}}} & (1)\end{matrix}$

Where;

ω=2πf=a circular frequency.

A(ω)=the actuator (shaker) transfer function, or ratio of the totalforce N exerted by the actuator on the structure to input voltage, N/V.

S(ω)=the sensor transfer function, or the ratio of the sensor outputvoltage to the dynamic displacement, V/m.

K(ω)=the controller transfer function, V/V.

k=an adjustable gain.

As a result, the force exerted by the active system on the tablestructure will equal iωku, where u is the dynamical displacementamplitude of the table, which is equivalent to the action of the viscousdamping. Of course, other units can be used. The sensor may be anaccelerometer, a velocimeter (such as a geophone) or a displacementsensor. Additional correcting filters may be used to improve thestability margins or other parameters.

FIG. 6 shows an alternate embodiment of a tabletop 12 wherein a strip 80is located between the top plate 20 and a hole sealing tile 82. The holesealing tile 82 may have a plurality of cups 84 that are locatedadjacent to the threaded apertures 30 to collect debris that fallthrough the apertures 30. The strip 80 may be a piezoelectric devicethat functions as a sensor and/or an actuator. Alternatively, opticalcables or other devices may be located between the plate 20 and tile 82to provide sensing and/or actuating functions. The tile 82 can protectthe strip 80 during the manufacturing process of constructing thetabletop 12.

While certain exemplary embodiments have been described and shown in theaccompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments aremerely illustrative of and not restrictive on the broad invention, andthat this invention not be limited to the specific constructions andarrangements shown and described, since various other modifications mayoccur to those ordinarily skilled in the art.

In particular, the structure referred to as a platform assembly 10 maybe any kind of a support structure, including multi-level platforms orcradle platforms. The working surface of this support structure may behorizontal, vertical or even inclined. Accordingly, the line of actionof the sensors and active dampers can be vertical, horizontal orinclined; multidirectional sensors or active dampers are also possibleas a modification of this invention. Although FIG. 4 shows an actuatorthat is implemented as an electromagnetic shaker with a moving magnetand a stationary coil, other types of actuator designs can be used, inparticular, electromagnetic designs with stationary magnets and movingcoils, electrodynamic designs with one stationary and one moving coil,etc. Alternatively, stiff (e.g. piezoelectric) actuators can be employedto create a relative motion of the reactive mass and the tabletop 12.

1-25. (canceled)
 26. A platform assembly that supports avibration-sensitive payload, comprising: a tabletop that includes afirst plate coupled to the vibration-sensitive payload, a second plate,and an inner core located between the first plate and second plate; oneor more vibration sensors positioned within the inner core of thetabletop; a controllable damper positioned within the inner core of thetabletop and in communication with the first plate and the sensors, thedamper having an actuator configured to induce a vibration that offsetsand cancels a vibration within the tabletop; and a control circuit incommunication with the sensors and the damper, the control circuitconfigured to process a signal from the sensor and provide an excitationsignal to the damper to generate an offsetting vibration that cancelstabletop vibration.
 27. The platform assembly of claim 26 wherein thefirst plate includes one or more threaded apertures configured to enablethe vibration-sensitive equipment to be coupled to the tabletop.
 28. Theplatform assembly of claim 26 wherein the vibration sensors are incommunication with the first plate.
 29. The platform assembly of claim26 wherein the sensors are selected from the group consisting ofaccelerometers, velocimeters, geophones, and displacement sensors. 30.The platform assembly of claim 26 wherein the damper comprises: anactuator housing positioned within the inner core and coupled to thefirst plate; an actuator within the actuator housing; and a magnet masscoupled to the actuator housing by a pair of flexible diaphragms, themagnet mass and flexible diaphragms forming a spring/mass assembly, thespring/mass assembly in communication with the actuator and configuredto generate the offsetting vibration when excited by the actuator. 31.The platform assembly of claim 30 wherein actuator is selected from thegroup consisting of electromagnetic shakers, electromagnetic shakerswith a moving magnet mass and a stationary coil, electromagnetic shakerswith stationary magnet masses and moving coils, electrodynamic designswith one stationary coil and one moving coil, piezo-actuators, and stiffactuators.
 32. The platform assembly of claim 26 wherein the controlcircuit further includes at least one device selected from the groupconsisting of amplifiers, compensators, and filters.